Basic Somatic Experiencing Exercises and Tools
/Basic SE Exercises/Toolbox
Dave Berger, MFT, PT, MA, SEP
Orienting to present
1-Orienting visually
2-Orienting auditorily
4-Orient to a pleasant aroma in present time or by recall
3-Gentle movement of full or parts of body to ease freeze and tension
Tracking
1-Feel body sensation—without getting attached to anything. Just be CURIOUS
2- Track Sensation and Emotions without dwelling on them or getting attached to them
3-Heart beat, breathing, blood flow, temperature in different parts of body
4-As tension or frustration level rises feel the sensations in you body. Squeeze it into a towel or pillow
Shifting awareness between different sensations
1-Tracking sensation and shift awareness to an opposite of that sensation (if it is a
negative sensation). What happens?
2-Shift between sensation and image;
3-Distancing disturbing images (backward binoculars)
4-Shift between sensation and emotion—if there is an emotion pay attention to the sensations and feel them change
Resourcing/Changing Body Sensations/Grounding/Anchoring
1-Soft Tongue—allow your tongue to soften and relax
2-Voo—take a gentle full breath in and say Voooooo slowly until you have exhaled all the way. Fell your belly vibrate
3-Voo/Ahhh—same a #2 and add gentle opening a closing of your mouth
4-Voo/Ahh with hand and arm movements for boundary development
5-Think about something more positive (a friend, a picture, a sound, a smell) and feel the associated sensations
6-Weighted blanket, self-heart hug (right hand under left armpit, left hand outside right shoulder. Give yourself a hug (and feel it) with just the right amount of pressure
Action Activities to mobilize stuck energy
1-Moving tension from jaw, shoulders to hands into practitioner’s forearm or a pillow or twisted up towel
2-Boundary--Walking to and fro; permission granting; saying ‘stop’
3-Mobilization—smovies or 1/2. filled water bottles. Feel sensations in body after stopping swinging gently
after stopping
Relational Tools
How might you approach a pet like a dog or cat so they want to lean into you, receive being pet, relax with you. Track your own body and the pet’s body. Can you read the pet’s mood? Does the pet’s mood change as you relax and settle? Can you do this with a friend, a partner?
